Page 34 of Wrangled
“Sorry, sir, that wasn’t my intention.”
I call bullshit. I think someone was trying to score brownie points and make themselves look good.
“Is anyone going to explain to me what the fuck is going on, or do I have to guess? I’d also like to know how long Miss Hart has been in the back of the squad car. If she has been arrested, she should have been taken down to the station.”
“I was worried about the crime scene, sir,” Andrews states.
“And you have plenty of officers here who you could have delegated to.” Andrews snaps his mouth closed at that before Shepard turns back to me. “Let’s get you out of here.”
He offers me his hand. When I twist to show him I’m cuffed, his anger spikes once more. “I’m starting to question if I can trust my own team at this point. Or perhaps some of you just need more training. If Miss Hart were to be found guilty of a crime, you are all making a case for the defense with the way it’s been handled.”
“Sir—” Andrews says, but Shepard turns his back on him. He reaches into the pocket of his jeans and pulls out a handcuff key.
I turn a little farther so he can reach my cuffs. I feel him open the bracelets before his rough hands rub at my tender skin. I turn back to face him, and he looks at me with concern. “How long have you been out here?”
I shrug, taking the hand he offers me, and let him help me out. “A few hours, maybe. I don’t know what time it is now.” Ishiver, wrapping my arms around myself. My tank top is doing nothing to ward off the early morning chill.
Sheperd slides out of his sheriff’s jacket and wraps it around my shoulders. His heat immediately seeps into my skin, making me groan with appreciation.
“Tell me why you are both wrapped up, and Miss Hart here is freezing. And why is it you two, Andrews and Hollis, that I’m pulling up yet again?”
When neither of them says anything, I decide I’ve had enough of this crap. “Can I call my lawyer now? They wouldn’t let me before. They also didn’t read me my Miranda rights or listen to a damn word I said before they cuffed me and threw me in the back of the car. I have to say, given their prejudice toward me, I’m not confident in their ability to treat me as innocent until proven guilty. How can I trust that they won’t plant evidence to incriminate me or hide evidence that would exonerate me? It’s no secret most people hate me. The thing is, I don’t even know these two. I met him yesterday and spoke to her on the phone once. If they can do this to me, how the hell are they treating others they might have a real reason to dislike?”
Okay, so I might have pushed a little more than I planned, but the house’s agitation is riding me, fueling my need to lash out.
Sheperd’s head turns slowly at my words, and I swear the two officers take a collective step back. “Tell me she’s joking.”
“Sir—”
“If you open your mouth one more time, Andrews, I’m going to arrest you for being an annoying prick.”
Shepards slides his hand down my arm before taking my hand and walking me up to my porch. He sits me on the swing, tugging the jacket around me before he takes the chair opposite. “Tell me what happened, Calliope.”
“Not without Jen.”
He scrubs his hand over his face before lifting his head. “What about FaceTime?”
“I don’t know how to use it,” I admit, feeling stupid.
“I can show you. You have your phone with you?”
I shake my head.
“Alright, I have her contact information from when she contacted me. Give me a second.”
I watch him fiddle with his phone before I hear Jen’s voice. “Why are you calling me Sheriff? Is Calliope okay?”
“She’s fine, but we have a bit of a situation. Here.”
He passes me the phone. I take it and look down to see Jen in a fancy-looking silk kimono with a pair of wire-rimmed glasses perched on the end of her nose.
“What’s wrong? You look like crap.”
“I can’t get to my cell. Is there a way for you to record this?”
“Of course. There, done. Now tell me what’s happening.”
Shepard indicates that he wants the phone back, so I hand it to him so he can hold it. To my surprise, he moves to sit on the floor beside the swing so we can both see the screen.
